Viraj Pathi, founding CEO of tech company Adya Smart Metering (established in 2010), is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience across the North American and Asian markets, having dedicated his career to advancing energy management and efficiency. He has acquired robust expertise spanning smart metering, grid automation, energy utilities and marketplace strategies. He has worked in critical domains such as operations, strategy, sales and marketing, product and solutions development, service agreements and go-to-market strategies during his career. He has also been involved in fundraising initiatives, business planning and mentoring start-ups.
At Adya, one of the most impactful initiatives has been the development of a patented digital solution that upgrades traditional digital meters to advanced smart meters. The solution, called Digi2Smart, delivers advanced smart metering capabilities at just half the cost of a new meter. As a plug-and-play unit, Digi2Smart seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure, supporting various communication protocols. It is compatible with all OEM protocols.
One of the key priorities for the company is accelerating R&D to introduce new products and enhance the performance of existing solutions, shares Pathi. Another priority has been to expand market presence across India. This involves establishing new partnerships, bidding in tenders while navigating the complexities of supply chain management.
According to Pathi, India’s smart metering sector is poised for exponential growth, driven by government initiatives such as the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme. He also believes that key opportunities lie in deploying prepaid and smart meters at scale, leveraging IoT and AI for advanced analytics, and integrating renewable energy sources with smart grids.
Currently, Adya Smart Metering is prioritising scaling its cloud-based MDM solutions, expanding partnerships with discoms and developing cost-effective, scalable metering technologies tailored for rural and urban settings to support the evolving needs of the Indian energy sector. Additionally, Pathi is a proponent of raising consumer awareness about the benefits of smart metering, empowering users to make informed energy decisions.
His leadership philosophy is rooted in empowerment, collaboration and continuous improvement. This leads to a culture of trust, accountability and learning. “In a rapidly evolving sector like smart metering, staying open to new ideas and fostering collaboration across diverse teams is crucial,” he remarks.